


Rescue You

by wesawbears



Category: All For The Game - Nora Sakavic
Genre: M/M, mermaid au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-05
Updated: 2017-08-05
Packaged: 2018-12-11 14:09:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,174
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11715969
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wesawbears/pseuds/wesawbears
Summary: Jean is a human who has always been attracted to the water and always wanted to find a mermaid. Jeremy is a mermaid who's always been attracted to, well, Jean. Somehow they find each other.





	Rescue You

Jean’s first memories were of the water. He remembers looking out at the glittering sea, walking out and wanting to feel the rush of the waves against his toes. Every time he toddled out toward the water, though, his maman pulled him back. “If you go too far, my darling, the mermaids will pull you in with them.”

From then on, Jean maintained his distance from the water, but was always on the lookout for mermaids, determined to be the one to finally spot one. When he was eight, he was sitting out on the edge of the water, feeling a bit rebellious as his toes dipped in. It was almost as if he was daring the mermaids to come grab his toes and pull him down with them.

They didn’t, and he was about to call the day’s search quits when he saw something rise up out of the water. He rubbed his eyes, convinced it was just a fish or that he was seeing things, but it looked like- a person? He was about to call out and see if they needed help, but then they waved at him before turning over to dive back into the water, revealing their tail. It was a deep, ruby red, but as the dying sun reflected off the scales, it glinted gold.

Jean ran home, excitedly telling his maman all about what he saw. She smiled and pressed her hands to his cheeks. “My dear boy. How exciting.”

His father huffed and gruffly told him there was no such thing and that he was getting too old for stories, but Jean knew what he saw. Mermaids were real.

\--

Sadly, though, Jean grew up and slowly, he stopped believing in mermaids. He hadn’t seen the sea in years, instead toiling away in an apprenticeship to pay off a debt to the Moriyamas. After eight years of earning their trust, he was approached by one of their men and handed a note.

“Take this directly to the address on the front and come straight back. Do not read it.”

Jean nodded quickly and stood, taking the note in his trembling hands. He was going to see the sun again.

He did as he was directed and found that he made good time delivering the message. Feeling the sea calling him, he took a detour past the ocean. He paused a moment before dipping his toes in, the same way he had as a little boy.

Just as he was about to continue back, he saw a figure in the distance. Only this time, the figure moved closer until it-he- was right next to Jean. He was a man with dark hair and tanned skin, and a smile brighter than the sun. Jean began to look away, but the man held up a hand and said, “Do not be frightened. I will not harm you.”

“Who are you?” Jean finally managed to stutter out. “I’m Jeremy. I’m the mermaid you saw all those years ago.”

“You’re-still called a mermaid?”

Jeremy shrugged. “We’re not picky.”

Jean nodded. “How did you find me again?”

“You believe in us. It’s never hard to find those who believe.”

“Why is that?”

“You come back.”

“You don’t-you don’t eat people, do you?” Jean asked.

Jeremy laughed, the sun shining off the water on his throat. Jean gulped. “No! Of course not! We just eat fish.”

Jean nodded, still blushing. After a moment, he forced himself to say, “I have to get back.”

“Wait!” Jeremy cried out, dipping into the water for a moment. “Take this.”

Jean took the object from him and found that it was a seashell. “What is this?”

“It will help you find me. Drop it at the water’s edge and I’ll know it’s you.”

Jean returned to work, playing with the shell in his pocket. It felt like hope.

\--

Over the next few months, Jean tried to get as many errands out of the Nest as he could, hoping for just a few minutes, or, if he was very lucky, hours with Jeremy. Every time he dropped the shell at the water’s edge and every time Jeremy appeared, smiling widely. After a while, Jean began bringing fish for both of them to eat. Jeremy was embarrassed to eat in front of Jean at first, but he grew more comfortable as time went on.

One day, Jean was cradling Jeremy’s cheek as Jeremy lay on his stomach, tail still submerged in the water. “How do mermaids become...mermaids?” Jean asked, lazily tracing his back.

“We drown.”

Jean looked at him, surprised. “You died?”

Jeremy looked away. “I don’t like to talk about it.”

Jean nodded, understanding, but Jeremy continued with a sigh. “One moment, I couldn’t breathe, and then...I was swimming faster than I ever had before. I felt more alive than I had before.”

In answer, Jean said, “I felt like I was drowning.” At Jeremy’s quizzical look, he went on, “The day you gave me the shell. I felt like I was stuck and like I was never going to get out and you pulled me back. You gave me back the light.”

Jeremy smiled that brilliant smile and Jean pulled him into a deep kiss. When they broke apart, Jean said, “Change me.”

Jeremy’s face fell. “What?”

“You heard me. I want to be with you.”

“I can’t-I won’t drown you. I won’t be the reason you die.”

“Can’t you see?” Jean cried, “Like this, I’m already dead.”

Jeremy shook his head and dove back into the water.

\--

Jean left the shell by the water every day, but Jeremy never showed up. He had finally resigned himself to the idea that he had pushed Jeremy away forever when he saw Jeremy’s shining red tail rise out of the water, followed by the rest of him.

“Jeremy,” he breathed, relieved. Jeremy smiled softly and Jean noted that he looked almost- nervous? “Is everything alright?”

“I’ve found a way to turn you without drowning you. It’s old magic, though, and I don’t know if it will work. No one’s tried in centuries.”

“I don’t care,” Jean said.

“I do.” With a sigh, Jeremy asked, “Are you sure this is what you want?”

Jean nodded. “Yes. With all my heart.”

Jeremy frowned before placing his hands on either side of Jean’s head. He began chanting in an old language Jean didn’t recognize and Jean started to feel dizzy. The last thing he heard before falling unconscious was Jeremy’s voice in his ear.

“Please live.”

\--

When Jean came to, the world seemed hazy as his eyes adjusted to their new surroundings. He looked down and saw his tail- his tail. It was deep blue, almost black, but with the sun it shone iridescent. He turned and saw Jeremy, all of him at once.

“Jean!” he cried and they moved towards each other, meeting in a kiss full of all their fear, excitement, and hope. 

“What do we do now?” Jean asked, breathless.

Jeremy giggled and grabbed his hand. “We swim.”


End file.
